Coin-control lock



Aug. 20, 1929. .e. R. WE BBER com CONTROL LOCK Filed March 17. 1928 lill lillltllllllllll l 5 lllllii J7%e?ror Gear 61?. webber Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES GEORGE E. WEBBER, or AUGUSTA, MAINE COIN-CONTROL LOCK.

Application filed March 17, 1928.

My present invention relates to a coin controlled lock for vending machines and the like. It has forits prime purpose to provide a lock which will permit operation of the machine when a coin, or coins, of the proper denomination for which the lock is designed are inserted, but which will prevent such operation in attempts to defraud the machine by use of improper coins.

In the specific instance shown herein as illustrative of my invention, I have provided a coin controlled apparatus which may be operated either on deposit of three pennies, or on deposit of a five cent piece. The coins indicated are, of course, of standard United States mintage, but it will be understood that the principles involved might be applied to devices for other mintages and for coins of other denominations. Also, the number of operations may be varied, as for example, the apparatus may be set to deliver one article for three cents and two for five cents, or other multiples may be used, as in the case of the delivery of three ten cent articles for twentyfive cents.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a. simple apparatus which is effective in operation and which is well adapted to any type of vending or dispensing machine. This apparatus specifically is designed for the dispensing and vending machine which forms the subject matter of my companion application, Serial No. 245,347, filed January 9, 1928.

In the drawings i Fig. 1 is a plan view of my coin control with casing cover removed to expose the coin carrier.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof sectioned on the line 22, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, of Fig. 1, exposing the coin carrier.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section 011 the line 44, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view corresponding in part to that of Fig. 3 but showing the coin carrier actuated with a five cent piece, and,

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary plan views of the coin carrier and lock shown in Fig. 5 and indicating successive phases of actuation.

Referring to the drawings I will first describe my invention on the basis of the single action movement which theoretically might not seem so important, but is practically very important an obviously profitable. While Serial No. 262,441.

I have referred to my coin control as adapted to multiple vending at reduced price, there are certain commodities which represent imperative demand on the part of the consumer and for which the consumer is perfectly willing to pay an increased price in order to have timely delivery. In such instances the prospective purchaser who does not have, in the example above cited, three pennies, may be perfectly willing to pay five cents for a single article and in fact may not desire two of the articles as the second one might represent a waste. A specific practical example of this is in the case of vending yeast cakes for those who take yeast for medicinal purposes and desire to have it at regular times and who would not care to carry with them a second yeast cake owing to its perishable nature.

For such trade the extra price is not a penalty nor an extortion but is merely a price of convenience and while representing an added profit is on the average fair and not an extortion.

For such a single operation the apparatus may be constructed as follows: I have indicated at 1 a back plate spaced by studs 2 from a front-plate 3 adapted to fit flush with the casing of the machine. These plates provide a bearing for a shaft 4 on which is an operating gear 5 meshing with a lower gear 6 constituting part of the operating train of a dispensing machine.

The shaft 4-has fast on its outer end a knob 7 carrying a handle 7 which serves to turn the shaft 4 for effecting the delivery of the article desired. The shaft is provided with a return spring (not shown) and the knob is provided with a pair of stop pins 7 which limit therotation of the knob.

Projecting from the plate 3 at one side of the knob is a plunger casing 8 and fast on the shaft 4 between the plates 1 and 3 is a coin carrier 9 pocketed as at 9 for the reception of the coins. The cover plate 2 of the lock is slotted as at 2* (Fig. 3) to permit introduction of the coins from above into said pocket 9.

Slidable within the plunger casing 8 and normally disposed within the path of rotation of the carrier 9 so as to be contacted by the edge 9 of the pocket unless the proper pocket content is present, is a plunger 10 pressed inwardly by a spring 10 The edge of the pocket 9 normally adjacent this plunger is beveled as at 9 to insure entrance of the plunger into the path of the pocket edge 9 as shown in Fig. 4. Lying just outside of the edge of the carrier 9 is a leaf spring 11 having free its ends 11 bent so as to be covered by a pocket 1 in the plate 1. spring 11 having free its end 11 bent so as to 10 for a purpose which will presently apear. p The pocket 9 as will be seen in Fig. 3 is of such depth that a penny may be positioned within the periphery of the carrier 9 while as indicated. in Fig. 5, a five cent piece will extend beyond that periphery so as to be engaged on rotation of the carrier in the direction of the arrow in said Fig. 5, by the spring 11. The pocket is of just sufficient width to receive three pennies whichby their aggregate thickness are sufiicient to present the surface of the outer penny so that it will contact with the locking plunger 10 and hold it out of engagement with the carrier as shown in Fig. 4, when the carrier is rotated in the direction of the arrow in said Fig. 1, thus permitting efiective operation of the machine.

As only one five cent piece should be inserted within the pocket, and as the thickness of such a piece is less than that of three pennies, the plunger 10 would not be held out by such a piece, and hence the spring 11 is provided. The action of this spring is to force the nickel outwardly against the plunger 10 whereby to prevent the engagement of the plunger with the carrier, and inasmuch as the spring 11 is stronger than the spring 10, the plunger is thereby held out of obstructing relation to the carrier.

It will, of course, be understood that in the case of the insertion of only a single penny or of only two pennies or of any other coin or object of insufficient thickness, the plunger 11 will contact the pocket edge 9 when the carrier is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, and thus prevent rotation of the shaft 4: a distance sufiicient to complete the dispensing operation.

The diameter of the penny, being less than that of the nickel, the spring 11 is not con tacted in penny operation of the lock, and as to pennies is simply an idle element.

In this form of the apparatus but a single dispensing is provided for, even where a coin of larger value is inserted.

As heretofore suggested, my invention may be embodied in a variet of forms of apparatus and may be adapte to a variety of coins or coin combinations and all without departing from the spirit of my invention if within the limits of the ap )ended claims.

l/Vhat I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. coin controlled apparatus, a coin carrierhaving a coin pocket having one dimension substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and another dimension equal to the thickness of a plurality of coins of another denomination, a lock- The ing member disposed in the path of the coin pocket, and means disposed for contact only by the aforementioned coin of one denomination and effective upon such contact to press such coin into effective engagement with the lock member.

2. In a coin controlled apparatus, a coin carrier having a coinpocket having one dimension substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and another dimension equal to the thickness of a plurality of coins of another denomination, a locking member disposed in the path of the coin pocket, and a resilient member disposed for contact only by the aforementioned coin of one denomination and effective upon such contact to press such coin into effective engagement with the lock member.

3. In a coin controlled apparatus, a coin carrier having a coin pocket having a depth substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and a width equal to the thickness of a plurality of coins of another denomination, a locking member disposed in the path of the coin pocket, and means disposed for contact with the pocket contents and effective to press a predetermined pocket content of one denomination into effective engagement with the lock member.

4. In a coin controlled apparatus, a rotatable coin carrier having a coin pocket of a depth substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and a width equal to the thickness of a plurality of coins of another denomination, a locking member disposed in the path of the coin pocket, and means disposed in the path of said pocket for contact only by the aforementioned coin of one'denomination and effective upon such contact to press such coin into effective on gagement with the lock member.

5. In a coin controlled apparatus, a coin carrier having a coin pocket having one dimention substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and another dimension equal to the thickness of a plu rality of coins of another denomination, and a locking member normally disposed in the pathof the coin pocket and moved out of such path by the engagement therewith of the pocket contents. 7

6. In a coin controlled apparatus, a coin carrier having a coin pocket having one dimention substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and another dimension equal to the'thickness of a plurality of coins of another denomination, and a spring-pressed locking member normally disposed in the path of the coin pocket and moved out of such path by the engagement therewith of the pocket contents.

7. In a coin controlled ap aratus, a coin carrier having a coin pocket aving a depth substantially equal to the diameter of a coin of one denomination and a width equal to the thickness of a plurality of coins of another for engagement by a coin of larger diameter denomination, and a spring-pressed locking and effective upon such engagement to press member normally disposed in the path of the said coin against said locking member and 10 coin pocket and moved out of such path by move said locking member out of interfering 5 the engagement therewith of the pocket relation to said carrier.

contents, and a spring stronger than the In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. spring of said locking member and disposed GEORGE R. WEBBER. 

